# Coldfire

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [July 13, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919 "2004-07-13T16:27:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/1 "2004-07-13T16:27:26Z")

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I never thought I would ever make a thread myself ont his forum. But since you switch from attacking to actually threatening because I _dare_ to answeer your posts in complete disagreement, I shall take this out of the thread where you started the whole thing.  
For those who want to follow it, here is the link.  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=266011&page=2&pp=30](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=266011&page=2&pp=30)

The whole hijack fo the thread starts actually with a post by broomstick, post 38.

You choosed to take the occasion. Not only to completely follow her line of thinking in misreading my post on which she commented so poorly, but in addition to attack me in the same line of thinking because you perceived it as an “attack” on those poor US citizens. Next you made it clear that deciding if yes or no a board rule on language use applies or not is your decision to make. Obviously it suits you well to play with rules whenever that serves your argument.

Now your latest post there on which I shall reply here:

> [@](#):
>
> Aldebaran, I have -either in public on the boards or in private among the staff- alternately stood up for you, or chastised you.

So? What do you imply I should make of this remark?

> [@](#):
>
> For the longest time, I was convinced that your stumbles on this board were mostly caused by language barriers, and perhaps cultural ones.

Surprize: It is what I am convinced of. Both language and culture.  
But it seems that you imply that by some miracle you think it plays no role.  
Care to elaborate a bit? (And what exactly does “stumbles” mean?)

> [@](#):
>
> But if you continue this apparent quest to argue for the sake of fucking arguing, even when people are trying to the best of their might to explain their intentions to you, taking valuable time to stipulate that which miraculously seems completely obvious to everyone else, then yes - perhaps you one day WILL find yourself unable to post to the SDMB.

I read this as:  
I told you that I can bend the rules according what I want them to be and you can take it or leave it without daring to comment on that.  
In short: Do not argue with me ever or I shall bann you.

Nice. What else? Do you want me to start every post with “praise Coldfire Our Great Dutch Moderator Married with a US Citizen and therefore Above Every Discussing Of His Posts To You” ?

> [@](#):
>
> And I’m sure you’ll be utterly convinced that it’s all because the SDMB staff and indeed its posters are a bunch of hypocritical, bigoted, arbitrary bastards.

You seem to be “convinced and sure” about quite a lot, no? Yet being “convinced and sure” does not mean that you have a clue.  
In fact, this sentence clearly shows you have no clue at all.  
Maybe I should send you the mail I talked about and see what you make of it or what? I thought about it to make the remark my signature, yet I didn’t do it because I didn’t want this to be dragged all over the place. That is also why I never furthered that discussion on the forums itself.  
Maybe I should publish it and let the members judge how to interprete it.  
It must surely be a language barrier that made me read it like I read it, no?.

> [@](#):
>
> You’re already so convinced that the deck is stacked against you that not even my most reasonable and detailed explanations trickle through somehow.

Says who?  
Oh forgot : Sais you. What of course Makes It True.

> [@](#):
>
> Read what I posted. Then read your responses again.

I return the question to you.  
Read what I posted. Read where you showed up and how, read your following posts, read my replies. Next: Re-read my posts again and tell me what is not clear to you. because obviously you are wandering in some black hole of misunderstanding or misreading or not knowing what… whatever.

> [@](#):
>
> You’re being an ass, and -if you’re smart- you know it.

What? So discussing with you comes down to what you write here above? By the way: what exactly does this mean because honesdtly I have no grasp of it and of other such nice words intented to say something nice about other members and that are frequently used here. I don’t happen to walk around in places where such expressions are standard language. Sorry.

> [@](#):
>
> I’m telling you, stop walking that damn line if you value contributing to this board so much.

Now we are coming the the Real Stuff, no?  
What “line” are you talking about exactly?  
Do Not Discuss Anything with Coldfire because Coldfire is a Moderator?  
No matter if Coldfire comes on the board to discuss and to attack and to post his opinion, just Shut Up and Bow and applaud Coldfire because you Have to Agree with Coldfire?  
Do not Post anything anti US because Coldfire does not like to read that?  
Do not Post anything Coldfire \*might/i] remotely perceive as something critical about the US of even about one ot the US citizens becasue that works on the nerves of Mr. Coldfire and He Is A Moderator ?  
Wave a US Flag every time you logg in to this website because otherwise Coldfire can not see how much you Love The USA?  
Post nothing else but Hail USA, Hail Bush, Please Come and Invade My country Also?

Or what are you refering to? Shall I send you my password so that you can make my posts to make them all One Big Love for the USA?

> [@](#):
>
> You’re easily among the Top 5 Most Discussed Posters amongst the staff. And that’s hardly ever a good thing.

Do they have nothing else to do then talking about members? And why on earth should I be “among the Top 5 Most Discussed Posters” ? And that is not a “good thing”? Because… Why and what?

Salaam. A

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/2 "2004-07-13T16:33:09Z")

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It’s because you’re an pompous ass with a martry complex.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/3 "2004-07-13T16:33:44Z")

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So long, **Aldebaran**.

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**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/4 "2004-07-13T16:35:38Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I read this as:

there’s the problem right there. You have a habit of assuming everything said to you is said to you with the highest degree of criticism. It isn’t. Just like this post isn’t.

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/5 "2004-07-13T16:37:33Z")

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> [@Lord Ashtar](#):
>
> So long, Aldebaran.

Oh, I don’t see why we’d loose him over something like this. He’s challenging a mod type ruling and this is the place for that right? We’ll see I guess.

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**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/6 "2004-07-13T16:38:13Z")

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> [@TwistofFate](#):
>
> there’s the problem right there. You have a habit of assuming everything said to you is said to you with the highest degree of criticism. It isn’t. Just like this post isn’t.

Exactly the same can be said about others reading my posts. Including Mr. Coldfire.

Salaam. A

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/7 "2004-07-13T16:39:26Z")

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> [@Grey](#):
>
> Oh, I don’t see why we’d loose him over something like this. He’s challenging a mod type ruling and this is the place for that right? We’ll see I guess.

I just see this as the beginning of the meltdown.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/8 "2004-07-13T16:40:36Z")

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OK, I suppose I could just pick all of that apart, bit by bit. But obviously, it’d render us more of the same. I’d try and explain my stance as clear as I could, and **Aldebaran** would respond with even larger exaggerations or distortions. I also see we’ve reached some level at which it is appropriate to include the opponent’s spouse. Nice.

Nah, fuck that noise. I’ll just ask a very simple question, and let y’all respond.

**Who, after reading the linked thread, interpreted my posts as gently but firmly trying to guide Aldebaran away from a very rapidly impending ban?**

If so, please speak up, because that’s how my words were intended. I have no fucking clue as to why I’m being so grossly misinterpreted, but then, I’m not a native speaker of English either - y’all tell me if I wasn’t clear.

All in all, it’s yet another day in which I seem to have wasted too much time on someone who’s not looking for understanding, but for offense. Sadly, this nasty characteristic cancels out a lot of the good **Aldebaran** could bring to this board, if he weren’t so damned confrontational about, shit, _everything_.

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/9 "2004-07-13T16:41:06Z")

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> [@Aldebaran](#):
>
> Please Come and Invade My country Also?

No need for all of that. Just post your GPS co-ordinates…and wait! 😃

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**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/10 "2004-07-13T16:44:06Z")

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My eyes _hurt_.

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**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/11 "2004-07-13T16:48:37Z")

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You’re an asshole. You play the victim. You’re immature and self-absorbed. You have no respect for anyone, and yes, some people _do deserve it_. **Coldfire** has bent over backwards to be civil to you.

Your behavior makes you a bad person. Whatever education you have is distorted by your lack of compassion. Do. You. Understand?

No, of course you don’t. It is everyone’s fault but your own.

To **Coldfire** , I didn’t read your posts as that, I just read them as a typical Alde-smackdown. Aldebaran’s ridiculously uninformed and ill-read hijack of the Filthy Arab thread was unfortunate, but I don’t consider it trolling. He is from that region of the world, he knows what’s going on, and he’s smart enough not to be outwardly anti-Semitic. I think he purposely looks for enemies to feed his martyrdom, and not finding any at these boards, he becomes confused and self-wounding.

I don’t think he did anything wrong, until he opened this thread. This act, though, tastes of malice, and he’s had malice issues in the past.

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**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/12 "2004-07-13T16:55:37Z")

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> [@Coldfire](#):
>
> OK, I suppose I could just pick all of that apart, bit by bit. But obviously, it’d render us more of the same. I’d try and explain my stance as clear as I could, and **Aldebaran** would respond with even larger exaggerations or distortions.

Sorry? I replied. I said how I take your comments.

> [@](#):
>
> I also see we’ve reached some level at which it is appropriate to include the opponent’s spouse. Nice.

No, i did not do that. Yet I can see now indeed why you can take offense by that comment. Be so kind to accept my apolgies for that.  
I only used it to underscore that you obviously have a boundage with the USA which to me explains why you react like you do when reading something I write in attack of the USA. IOr, like you did in that thread, when simply percieving somethinbg I write as an attack on the USA.

> [@](#):
>
> Nah, fuck that noise. I’ll just ask a very simple question, and let y’all respond.
> 
> **Who, after reading the linked thread, interpreted my posts as gently but firmly trying to guide Aldebaran away from a very rapidly impending ban?**

Sorry? Telling an other poster that if she tries to impress me with insults in “french” she is rather ridiculous, is provoking to be banned?  
And your post on that was telling me that?  
Please enlighten me because I see nothing of this intent that - so say you - must be clear and obvious.

[quote]  
If so, please speak up, because that’s how my words were intended. I have no fucking clue as to why I’m being so grossly misinterpreted, but then, I’m not a native speaker of English either - y’all tell me if I wasn’t clear.  
[/quote)

Well, it is in the first place not clear to me why you would bann me for telling broomstick to learn french before trying to use it to insult, and then for arguing with you on posts yoy made. Not in moderator mode, but as a member.  
Maybe you should make the distinction as I did.

[quote]  
All in all, it’s yet another day in which I seem to have wasted too much time on someone who’s not looking for understanding, but for offense.  
[/quote)

So you take discussion and disagreement for “offenses”?

> [@](#):
>
> Sadly, this nasty characteristic cancels out a lot of the good **Aldebaran** could bring to this board, if he weren’t so damned confrontational about, shit, _everything_.

Sadly, the nasty characteristics of certainb members make it rather impossible for not becoming confrontational.  
And sadly, but the issues I touch are often confrontational by default when they go about the US and its politics.  
And sadly, nobody shall ever make me write good about what is wrong or do it with fluffy handgloves. I told you a year ago that I can not change myself or my writing style.  
A lot of people have their own style of posting. Do you have similar “sadly” problems with them too?

Salaam. A

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/13 "2004-07-13T16:58:59Z")

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Oh and for your information: I opened this thread because we were indeed very much hijacking the other one and I don’t feel for it to dragg a discussion to private mail although it would be much easier to do it in Dutch.

Salaam. A

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**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/14 "2004-07-13T17:00:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> And why on earth should I be “among the Top 5 Most Discussed Posters” ? And that is not a “good thing”?

I believe you’re about to find out. So long, mate. It’s been an interesting, if not wholly enjoyable, experience.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/15 "2004-07-13T17:07:08Z")

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> [@El\_Kabong](#):
>
> I believe you’re about to find out. So long, mate. It’s been an interesting, if not wholly enjoyable, experience.

Oh well, if so then the clear proof is delivered that one can not discuss ever anything with a moderator on this website, if said moderator does not “like” you.  
Maybe I should post the mail in which an administrator called me scum so that you can follow the line of thinking behind all of this.

Salaam A

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/16 "2004-07-13T17:10:30Z")

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> [@Aldebaran](#):
>
> No, i did not do that. Yet I can see now indeed why you can take offense by that comment. Be so kind to accept my apolgies for that.  
> I only used it to underscore that you obviously have a boundage with the USA which to me explains why you react like you do when reading something I write in attack of the USA.

Apology accepted. But you’re obviously completely unaware of my views regarding the current US Administration. How else could you make remarks like:

> [@](#):
>
> Do not Post anything anti US because Coldfire does not like to read that?  
> Do not Post anything Coldfire _might_ remotely perceive as something critical about the US of even about one ot the US citizens becasue that works on the nerves of Mr. Coldfire and He Is A Moderator ?  
> Wave a US Flag every time you logg in to this website because otherwise Coldfire can not see how much you Love The USA?  
> Post nothing else but Hail USA, Hail Bush, Please Come and Invade My country Also?

A greater mischaracterisation of my views vis-à-vis Iraq, I could not have imagined.

So how in the hell do you expect me to take your tirade seriously? You accuse me of not reading your posts well enough, leading to misinterpretations. Yet in the very same post, you prove beyond a shadow of the doubt that you have no problems attaching a political label to me, based merely on the nationality of my wife and the fact that I moderate a predominantly American message board - even when my actual views expressed (and they’re _not_ hard to find) completely contradict your claims.

Pot, Kettle, Black. You’re coming across as someone looking for a fight. I cannot be any clearer than I was in the last thread: go back and read it again, if you must.

The high horse doesn’t become you very well, **Aldebaran**. At least not when you refuse to play by the rules you so desperately try to enforce on others.

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/17 "2004-07-13T17:10:53Z")

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> [@Coldfire](#):
>
> Who, after reading the linked thread, interpreted my posts as gently but firmly trying to guide Aldebaran away from a very rapidly impending ban?

:raises hand:

> [@neuroman](#):
>
> My eyes hurt.

My _brain_ hurts.

> [@Aldebaran](#):
>
> I think it would be much better is I did not post at all.

Me too.

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**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/18 "2004-07-13T17:15:21Z")

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**Broomstick** posted “je suis fatigue de votre insistance que les americaines sont ignorants et parler seulement un langue. VOUS, monsieur, sont aussi un bigot. Votre tete, elle est dans votre derriere.”

**Alderberan** raised two issues, one that non-English language posts are disscouraged on this board, and two that the French used was poor quality.

The first point was clarified by **Coldfire** as allowable, since the poster was using it to prove that he/she/it could write a lnguage other than English.

The second point looks like insulting a person for not being perfect in using their second language. Sorry but that has an air of hypocracy coming from someone who rightly gets very annoyed when people point out his own mistakes in his second (3rd,4th,5th?) language.

Secondly I personally find any equating of mono-linguality with stupidity insulting.  
I have tried to learn French, and tried very hard to learn Japanese, both are apparently beyonde me. On the other hand calculus is so obvious and easy to me, that were I to selfishly believe everyone had the same capabilities of me, I would think anyone without good knowledge of calculus must be lazy or stupid.  
But I know people are different, and the difficulty I might have with a second language is mirrored by the difficulty others may have with simple mathematical constructs, and is no sign of their intelligence or work ethic.

**Coldfire** can be a little rough in his messages, but he is an even handed and equal opportunity belligerant. His messages were mild for the longest time and do not say that “If you dissagree with me you will be banned” instead they are trying to say “If you twist other’s words into a personal attack against you, then you are being a fool. If you keep doing the same thing, you might start being a jerk about it.”

And we all here know what happens to Jerks.

They get elected.

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/19 "2004-07-13T17:15:41Z")

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> [@Coldfire](#):
>
> A greater mischaracterisation of my views vis-à-vis Iraq, I could not have imagined.

Lord, do I ever feel your pain.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/20 "2004-07-13T17:18:01Z")

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> [@Aldebaran](#):
>
> Maybe I should post the mail in which an administrator called me scum so that you can follow the line of thinking behind all of this.

Oh, I would _ **love** _ to see this. However, I strongly doubt its existance.

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919.md?page=2)
